Most software applications are designed to be used with only one pointing device, such as a mouse or stylus. Touch screen applications, however, are typically designed to be used with a variety of pointing devices, such as a user's finger, and various types of styluses. Devices that run such touch screen applications are becoming increasingly smaller in size and have small LCD's on which to display the user interface of the touch screen applications. Examples of such devices include ATMs, PDAs, and cellphones, for instance. Therefore, many touch screen applications are difficult to use. Even well designed touch screen applications can be difficult to use by someone with large fingerprints or diminished motor skills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,079 discloses a touch screen user interface for a reprographic machine that expands the area of a touch zone on a touch screen when selected to improve accuracy of selection thereof. Although this system is beneficial to the user, the system will not aid the user who continually misses the intended touch zone, the touch zone is expanded only after selected by the user.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method and system for increasing the ease-of-use of a touch screen application.